Fillings

A filling replaces part of a tooth that has been lost because of decay of through accidental damage. There are 3 main fillings materials.

Silver fillings – Made of amalgam – a mixture of mercury with other metals, such as silver, tin and copper. Amalgam is soft at first, but quickly becomes hard once placed in the tooth.

Composite fillings – Made of a mixture of very fine glass particles in resin. After the tooth has been prepared an acid will be used to etch the tooth surface, then a resin bond will be used before putting the filling in, in stages, using the light to set each layer. They come in a range of shades so they can be matched to the colour of your teeth

Glass ionomer fillings – The softest of the 3 fillings, it is also white but only comes in one shade, often placed at the gum lines and in children’s teeth